NBA Game Notes (April 30, 2023)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 30, 2023.

Chef Curry Cooks Kings

Stephen Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points as the Golden State Warriors routed the Sacramento Kings 120-100 in Game 7 of their Western Conference First Round series. The No. 6 seed Warriors move on the conference semifinals, where they will face off against the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers.

Curry became the first player in NBA history to record a 50-point game in a Game 7. He’s the second-oldest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a playoff game (age in years-days):

• 36-273 — Karl Malone (April 22, 2000)

• 35-047 — Stephen Curry (April 30, 2023)

• 34-069 — Michael Jordan (April 27, 1997)

• 33-284 — Ray Allen (April 30, 2009)

• 33-277 — Sam Jones (March 28, 1967)

Curry shot 20-38 from the field, including 7-18 from 3-point range. Curry tied his own NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a Game 7, a mark he shares with Marcus Morris (2021 WC1) and Grant Williams (2022 ECS). Curry had made seven 3-pointers in two previous Game 7s (2016 WCF and 2018 WCF).

Curry also contributed eight rebounds and six assists. He’s the fourth player in franchise history to record at least 50 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game:

• Wilt Chamberlain (April 10, 1964)

• Rick Barry (April 18, 1967)

• Kevin Durant (April 26, 2019)

• Stephen Curry (April 30, 2023)

Curry scored 236 points in the series, the most in NBA history by a player age 35 years or older:

• 236 — Stephen Curry (2023 WC1)

• 222 — Michael Jordan (1998 ECF)

• 201 — Jordan (1998 FIN)

• 186 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1984 FIN)

• 179 — LeBron James (2020 FIN)

Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson scored 16 points, but made just four of his 19 attempts from the floor (21.1%). Thompson shot 12-39 from the field over the last two games of the series, including a 4-19 performance from 3-point range.

Warriors center Kevon Looney was a beast on the boards once again, hauling in a game-high 21 rebounds. It was his third 20-rebound game of the series. Looney is just the third player in the last 40 years to record three such games in a postseason series, joining Ben Wallace (2003 EC1) and Dwight Howard (2008 EC1).

Looney collected 10 offensive and 11 defensive boards, the second time he’s recorded double-digit offensive and defensive rebounds in a playoff game. That matches the combined total of all other active players (Jonas Valanciunas and Nikola Jokic, one apiece).

The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis scored a team-high 22 points in the loss, shooting 10-16 from the field. Sabonis also recorded eight rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks, the latter two figures team highs.

Teammate De’Aaron Fox tallied 16 points and six assists, but had a tough night from the field, making just five of his 19 attempts (26.3%). Fox also committed a game-high five turnovers.

Fox finished the series with 192 points, the second-highest total in NBA history by a player in his first postseason series:

• 214 — LeBron James (2006 EC1)

• 192 — De’Aaron Fox (2023 WC1)

• 190 — Bob McAdoo (1974 ECS)

• 186 — Luka Doncic (2020 WC1)

• 184 — Bob Lanier (1974 WCS)

The Kings shot just 35-96 from the field as a team, including a 12-47 effort from 3-point range. The only team in NBA history to miss more 3-pointers in a Game 7 is the Houston Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals (37), also versus the Warriors.